Swales’ determination recognised by two awards

He may have collected two accolades at last Thursday’s inaugural West Suffolk Sports Awards, yet David Swales believes he has done nothing special.

It was in April 2016 that the St Edmunds Pacers member suffered a stroke after completing a 10K race, leaving him with a 40 per cent loss of sight, mild aphasia, neurofatigue and cognitive problems.

However, the 54-year-old has refused to be beaten and he recently finished another 10K, raising £2,700 for Stowmarket-based Icanho, who have provided Swales with significant help since his stroke.

He is also well on the way to meeting his target of running 1,000 miles in 2017 and such determination was recognised at the St Edmundsbury Cathedral, where Swales went away with the Iliffe Media People’s Champion and Greene King Triumph Over Adversity awards.

The Bury St Edmunds resident, though, has insisted he is just making the best of the bad hand he has been dealt.

“I am really pleased with the awards — it is quite overwhelming,” he said.

“But I do not think I have done anything particularly special.

“I am just a middle-aged person that has had something bad happen to them.

“I wanted to get back running — I see it as a little battle with the stroke. It is trying to beat me and I will not let it happen.

“Running is my way of telling the stroke it is not going to win.

“I could not have done it without either the Pacers or Icanho — they have been amazing.”

A host of awards were handed out throughout the evening, which was sponsored by Greene King and organised by Abbeycroft Leisure, to celebrate local sporting heroes, volunteers, clubs, coaches, teams and individuals.